Power of Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited

Since we started covering the points and miles game at The Points Guy, there’s been a trend: Airlines and hotels are consistently devaluing their programs and increasing the number of points and miles. Miles required for award flights or stays.

However, one product line that credit card pros continue to be loyal to year after year is Chase. There are two main reasons: Chase the ultimate bonus score Extremely versatile and valuable, and Chase offers a highly composable product line that allows you to maximize both your earning and redemption strategies.

While all are valuable independently, combining three additional Chase credit cards can unlock a ton of value across spending categories: Reserve Chase Sapphire®the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card And Pursue Unlimited Freedom®.

Let’s take a look at these cards and how they work together to create a great credit card strategy.

Chase Sapphire Sanctuary

Annual fee: $550

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Reward rate: Earn 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides (through March 2025) plus 10 points per dollar on hotel bookings and car rentals and 5 points per dollar on flights when purchased through Chase Travel℠. Earn 3 points per dollar on travel and dining purchases and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

This card’s hefty $550 annual fee is more than offset by the $300 annual travel credit, effectively collecting fees of $250 per year. You will also receive one Priority card Select memberup to a $100* refund of your registration fee to Global entry, TSA Pre-Check or Nexus and other benefits such as Primary rental car insurance, cancel trip And Delay insurance, Return lost luggageConcierge service, access to Chase Luxury Hotel Collection and more.

To give cardholders more incentive to carry the card, Chase has consistently added (or expanded) benefits on the Sapphire Reserve in recent years. This includes:

• Free DashPass (now through December 31) plus $10 monthly credit via DoorDash.
• 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (currently until March 2025).
• Up to $15 statement credit per month on Instacart purchases and one year of Instacart+ free (until July 31).

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can redeem your points for 50% more pass value Chase travel portal (redeemed at 1.5 cents per point instead of the standard 1 cent per point).

Of course, you can also transfer your points to one of these 12 airlines and three hotel partners to get even more value from your points. With its versatility and earning power, the Sapphire Reserve leads Chase’s strong card selection and is a great addition to any points hunter’s wallet.

For more details, see our full range Chase Sapphire Sanctuary review.

*This rebate will increase to $120 when Global participation fees increase in October.

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Register here: Chase Sapphire Sanctuary

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Prioritize ink business

Annual fee: $95

Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening your account.

Reward rate: Earn 3 points per dollar on travel, transportation, internet service, cable service, phone service, and ad purchases made with social media sites and search engines (with combined spend). Match up to $150,000 for each account anniversary year, then 1 point per dollar) and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

With Primary rental car insurance In terms of car rental services for business purposes, Ink Preferred also offers them mobile phone protection benefit. The card will pay to replace a broken cell phone up to three times per year with just a $100 deductible as long as you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card. You can even protect your employee’s cell phone if their service line is included in the same bill. Just note that there is a limit of $600 per claim and a limit of $1,800 or three claims in a 12-month period.

For more details, see our full range Ink Business Preferred review.

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Register here: Prioritize ink business

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Pursue unlimited freedom

Annual fee: $0

Welcome offer: Earn an extra 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 in spending in the first year), worth up to $300 in cash back.

Reward rate: Earn 5% on travel booked through the Chase travel portal, 3% on dining (including takeout and delivery) and pharmacies, and an unlimited 1.5% on all other purchases.

Rounding out the trio is the Chase Freedom Unlimited. This card is always a great choice for anyone who wants a comprehensive card for off-the-shelf purchases categories earn bonuses with other credit cards. And because you can Transfer your points to your Ultimate Rewards accountpoints earned with Chase Freedom Unlimited are worth 2.05 cents each if you link the card to a regular Ultimate Rewards earning card like Reserve sapphire, Prioritize ink business or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

For more details, see our full range Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

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Register here: Pursue unlimited freedom

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How these cards work together

Each of these cards covers a distinct spending area and offers distinct perks as part of it Comprehensive credit card strategy.

Use yours Chase Sapphire Sanctuary for travel shopping and dining, Prioritize ink business about all business expenses and Unlimited freedom for purchases that don’t earn rewards with your other cards.

All the points you earn with these three cards can be combined, allowing you to transfer them to one of those cards. Chase travel partner or redeem them for 1.5 cents each through the Chase travel portal. When booking economy class award flights or award stays at hotels that aren’t listed as Chase transfer partners, you’ll likely get the most value by taking advantage of redemption rewards in the travel portal .

However, if you’re booking a premium cabin award flight or changing nights at one of Chase’s hotel partners, you may want to transfer your points. Just make sure you’re comparing both options to get the best value from your final Rewards Points and not miss out on any options. Exclusive transfer bonus.

Related: When to book through Chase Travel and when to transfer your points

Other trifecta card options

Chase has a flexible line of credit cards, and it may make sense to replace one of the cards listed above with another Chase card based on your spending habits.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited

For example, if you already have Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Citi Double Cash® Card (see exchange rates and fees) — both earn higher rates on non-bonus spending — makes more sense if you have Chase freedom Flex℠ instead Pursue unlimited freedom.

Another card with no annual fee, Chasing freedom Flex offers 5% cash back Rotate spending categories quarterly (requires activation). Your bonus spending is limited to $1,500 a quarter and categories range from the gas station ARRIVE grocery and even Amazon And Walmart, making it easy to maximize your card’s bonus earnings. Like Freedom Unlimited, you’ll also earn 5% back on travel booked through the Chase travel portal and 3% back on dining and pharmacy.

Related: Credit card showdown: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Beginners should be wary of the above $550 annual fee Reserve sapphire can replace it with Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Along with a lower annual fee of just $95, the Sapphire Preferred also has a solid earnings structure:

• 5 points per dollar on all travel purchased through the Chase travel portal
• 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery, takeout and outdoor dining
• 3 points per dollar on select streaming services
• 3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 2 points per dollar on all other travel
• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

The Sapphire Preferred only comes with a 25% redemption bonus and no lounge access. However, Preferred does not come with the same sign up bonus as a Reserve (75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening), and you’ll also enjoy $50 annual statement credit for hotels booked through Chase Travel plus 10% bonus points on your anniversary based on your previous year’s spending.

If you don’t travel enough to get the most out of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Sapphire Preferred is a solid alternative.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve

Bottom line

The ultimate goal is to maximize every dollar you spend by making purchases on the right credit card. Getting value from the points and miles game isn’t just for frequent flyers; you just have to be smart about how you spend your money.

Just remember that all of these tags are subject to compliance Chase’s 5/24 Rule. If you don’t currently have these cards in your wallet, you’ll want to be strategic about when to apply for them versus other cards to ensure that you won’t be denied for opening too many accounts within two weeks. last year. For more details on how to increase your approval rate, check out Instructions on rules and restrictions when applying for a credit card.

Related: The ultimate guide to how to best combine credit cards